Disk wheel



JL F. wlLMoT DISK WHEEL May l2, 1925.

Filed Feb. 19. 192g Patented May 12., 1925.

UNITED STATES `PATENT .oFF-mg,

i JQ'HN F. WILMoT, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DISK WHEEL.

application meareb'rury 19, 1923. 'serial N0. 619,812.

Ahad to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, and the object of the invention is to 'provide a substantial-and resilient'disk wheel for use as a road wheel for vehicles. A' particular object of the invention is to provide a .light wheel of ample strength and a further feature resides in the constructionof the rim and in the mode of attachment 1of the rim to the disk at the periphery as hereinafter described and in the construction of the rim adaptingr it for use in conjunction with a disk. A further novel feature of the invention is in the. provision of a wheel body formed of a plurality ot' disksof successively greater diameter, each disk of smaller size being attached at or near its periphery to the disk ot the next larger size only and so adapted in cross section. as to provide an arcuate flexible part attached directly to the rim and'. due to the arrange ment of the series of disks and their attachment to thenext larger disk successively, securing a very light, strong and flexible shock absorbing disk wheel. These and other objects and the severa-l novel features of construction ot a wheel embodying my invention are hereinafter more fully ydescribed and claimed and shown in preferred form in the laccompanyingr drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a' disk wheel embodying,f my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof on line 9--2 of Fig. 1.

.Fig 3 is an enlarged cross section of the rim shown in-Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 show alternative forms of construction of the frim.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 shows one method of attaching the disks rtogether successively. A

In its preferred form. the wheel is formed with a. hub 1 which may be of any approved i type adapted forattachmentto anaxle .2

in any well known manner. Between vthe hub flanges 3 and 4 may be secured the disk which consists of several disksof successively greater diameter indicatedat', 6,-7 and 8, and vit is to be understooditlrat-a greater or less number-:ot disks maybe utilizedas is desired, and that these disks-fare in any approved manner secured -togetherfat the hub. These disksrare each made offflexible mate-rial as for instance sheet steel. and lie in surface contact aswill be understood from Fig. 2. The several disks, when assembled, are formed to provide a terminal arcuate portion 9. on the outer surface-.of which is securedak rimflO otany approved character which supports fthe tire ill. Theirst disk ofzthe series may be practicallyfat while the nextsucceeding disk 6, in order to secure `the general lshape in cross section desired, is concave-convex in form, 'the disk 7 bein;Y ot similar form `and extending partly aboutthe'arcuate portion'Q of the larger disk 8, and these several disks are eachpreferably welded at the peripheryto the disk with which -it lies incontactJ-These disks being ot sheet steel or-other.adaptablesheet kmet-al are flexible and. bysecuring the 'same tosether in the manner stated, are of the general character `of a sprinrr with the exception that kthere is no sliding action between the disks. These disks therefore. particularly due to thel form in cross section of the assembled disks.`yieldably kresist road shock and also effectively withstand side strains imposed thereon in use. These disks may also be secured tonetherby rivets in the manner indicated in Fisr. `7 `similar to that shown'in my former U. S. Patent No. 1.423,`

060 of July 1.8, l922,.and.the invention'herein described resides 'more particularly in the shape of these disks and arrangement of the same to Vabsorb road shock particularlv aswell as to Withstandlateral strains.

With a disk wheel of the type above described, 'I have provided a rim for attachment thereto vby means of which `a much stronger construction is secured with less liability of breakage or .shearing of the bolts or'rivetsrattaching'the rim to the disks and "permitting ready removal of `the -tire in the rim. Ordinarily. vsuch boltshavethe `longitudinal axes parallel with the axis of the wheel while in my improved construction and, by arrangement of the portion 9 arcuate 1n cross section to which the rim is directly attached, I am enabled to utilize bolts to fasten the disk to the rim having their longitudinal axes parallel with the center plane of the wheel. The rim proper may be of any type of construction desired preferably such as is shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In Fig. 3 the rim is shown at 12 and is provided with an integral side flange 18 for supporting a tire and a removable flange 14 on the opposite side. On the inner face of the rim I provide a filler or ring 15 which may be of any adaptable material, Welded or riveted or otherwise secured to the rim particularly to provide sufficient thickness of stock for the bolts 16 to pass through the outturned periphery of the disk 8 into the ring 15 and rim 12 as shown. With this type of construction the ring 15 is formed with a recess to receive an inwardly extending part 17 of the removable Hange 14. Screws 18 are provided passing through the member 15 and the portion 17 of the flange into the body of the rim 12, and these screws may be practically parallel with the center plane of the Wheel as shown. With this arrangement, by removal of the flange 14 the tire may be removed from the rim 12 and it is also vevident that thev rim with the tire thereon may be removed from the Wheel by disengaging the bolts 16, of which there are several about the periphery as Will be readily understood from Fig. 1. This disk 8, having the arcuate portion 9 outturned as shown, permits the valve stem of the tire to project into the arcuate portion and be readily accessible from the outside face of the Wheel. This will be understood readily from Fig. 1 in which the cap of the valve stem is indicated at 19.

In Fig. 4, I have shown another common form of rim which has a body 20, fixed flange 21 and the removable flange 22 which is a split ring setting into the recess formed by the return bent part 23 of the main body of the rim. `With this type of rim I also preferably employ what I have termed a filler member or ring 24, similar to the ring 15 of Fig. 3, which is secured to the inner face of,the rim providing stock to receive the bolts 25 with the longitudinal axis parallel to the center plane of the Wheel. A. particular feature of this invention is to secure a structure in which these bolts for retaining the rim in place on the Wheel body are so positioned that all side `or lateral strains on the Wheel are principally shearing strains rather than strains tending to strip the threads of the bolt.

An alternative form of construction of the rim is also shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this case I employ a nut 26 which may be secured Vto the inner face of the ring by rivets indicated at 27 to which the disk is secured by the bolts 28 in a similar manner to both the other forms hereinbefore described. This nut may be of bronze or other material non-corrosive in character so that the bolts 28 are readily removable. In fact the rim may be provided only with a series of nuts 26 for each oi the bolts 28 utilized in attaching the rim to the disk. Inasmuch as this leaves a space between the disk and the rim I preferably employ a type of filler member to close this interstice. This may be of the solid form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 or it may be ofsheet metal character indicated at 29 in Fig. 5. In this case, the filler 29 is apertured to receive an end of' the bolt so that the peripheral-surface of the disk contacts this non-corrosive nut face avoiding the possibility of the rim becoming rusted to the disk, and it is also evident that the members 15 and 24, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, may be made of a non-cor- -rosive metal secured to the rimin any approved manner as by riveting or welding as may be found desirable' or adaptable. With this arrangement, the rim does ynot freeze7 to the disk and is always readily removable. lVith the sheet metal type of filler or ring, I preferably form the same with a flange 30 to engage over and support the removable flange of the type shown in Fig. 3.

The plates or rings l5 and 24, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, can be made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy for the sake of lightness and secured in any approved manner to the rim member as for instance by rivets. In such case of use of an aluminum or an aluminum alloy, a nut can be provided therein to receive the bolt in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. For this purpose the member 24 should be recessed to permit the nut to be inserted thereinto and this nut may be flanged as indicated by the dotted lines whereby'thev same may be securely held in place. This nut may be of non-corrosive metal as for instance bronze, which is or" greater strength than the aluminum member, to prevent stripping of the threads.

By the use of the flexible. disks, as described, and due to the arrangement of the disks and modeof attachment together and the shape thereof in cross section, a very light, strong and flexible shock absorbing Wheelis secured and, with the spring form of disk and special rim structure described, a disk Wheel is provided having a removable rim or a removable tire avoiding the necessity of having special tools to remove .gli

In vehicle road Wheel, a wheel body i including a hub and metal disk formed of several disks of consecutively greater diameter, a number of the disks being Welded at the periphery only to the adjacent disk and the assembled disks being shaped to provide a reversely bent portion with a fiat cylin drical surface at the periphery of the disk of largest diameter, and a tire supporting rim attached to said surface.

2. In a vehicle road Wheel, a wheel body including a hub and a metal disk secured thereto, the said disk being formed of a series of disks of successively greater diameter all seciued together at the hub and the majority of the disks having the periphery only thereof welded to the disk of the next greater diameter, the largest disk of the series having a lateral peripheral portion providing a flat cylindrical surface, and a tire supporting rim attached to said surface.

3. In a vehicle road Wheel, a Wheel body consisting of a hub, a metal disk formed of a series of disks of consecutively greater diameter all secured together' at the hub and the peripherie-s of all the disks except that of the greatest diameter being welded to the body of the disk of next greater diameter, and the disk of greatest diameter' being shaped at the periphery to provide a rim receiving surface.

4. In a vehicle road Wheel, a Wheel body consisting of a hub, a metal disk formed of a series of disks of successively greater diameter all secured together at the hub, a number of the disks of smaller diameter being Welded at the periphery only to the disk of next greater diameter, the disks being curved in cross section and the disk of largest diameter being shaped to receive a. rim.

5. In a vehicle road wheel, a wheel body including a hub and metal disk provided with a periphery formed by shaping the disk to provide a substantially `flat ycylindrical outer surface, and a demountable rim struc ture therefor consisting of a` rim member adapted to be seated on the said periphery, and removable bolts extending through the periphery and threaded in the rim member, the said bolts being positioned With their axes substantially parallel with the center plane of the wheel.

6. In a vehicle road Wheel, a Wheel body consisting of a hub and a metal disk formed of a series of disks of consecutively greater diameter all secured together at the hub and each disk of smaller diameter being Welded at the periphery only to the disk of next greater diameter, the assembled disks being shaped to provide a concave-convex central portion gradually merging into a reversely bent arcuate peripheral portion providing a fiat cylindrical surface at the peripheryl of the disk of largest diameter, a rim fitting the. said portion, said rim having a series of bolt apertures, the axes of which are paral lel with the center plane of the rim, and bolts extending through the periphery of the disk supporting the rim thereon.

7. In a vehicle road Wheel, a Wheel body consisting of a hub and a metal disk formed of a lseries of disks of consecutively greater diameter secured together at the hub and the periphery of each disk except the disk of greatest diameter being secured to the disk of next greatest diameter only, the assembled disks being shaped to provide a substantially concavofconvex central portion merging into a reversely bent arcuate peripheral portion providing a flat cylindrical surface at the periphery of the disk of largest diameter only, and a rim secured to said surface.

S. In a vehicle road Wheel, a Wheel body consisting of a metal disk formed of a series of comparatively thin, iiexible sheetmetal disks of consecutively greater diameter, all the said disks being secured together at the hub and each disk of smaller diameter being secured by means of a continuous weld about the periphery only to the disk of next greater diameter, the several disks in cross i section having approximately the shape of an ogee curve, the outer reversely bent portion forming an arcuate,cylindrical recess on the outer side of the Wheel and providing a cylindrical outer face, and a rim removably secured' to the said face.

9. In a vehicle road Wheel, a Wheel body consisting of a disk formed of a series of comparatively thin flexible sheet metal disks of consecutively greater diameter, all the disks being secured together at the hub and each of the disks of smaller diameter being secured at the periphery to the disk of next greatest diameter only, the several disks in cross section having the form substantially of an ogee curve with the periphery of the disk of largest diameter completing the final curve and `providing a surface for a rim, and a tire carrying rim secured to the said surface. n

10. In a vehicle Wheel, a hub and a rim, a main supporting disk attached near its periphery to the rim, a series of disks in superimposed relation each of successively less diameter, all of the disks being secured at the center to the hub and one of the disks being secured at about its periphery to the main supporting disk.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification. 

